Posts Tagged ‘memo’

Reaction to the Romney-Apologia issued by DeMoss as hysterically funny as its source

October 12, 2007 in 2008, analysis, argument, campaign literature, election 2008, Evangelicals, gaffs and pratfalls, GOP, incompetence, policy, republicans, romney, stupidity, triumph of unreason
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Kevin McCullough reacts to Mark DeMoss’s letter, in an Evangelicals for Mitt post titled, without a trace of irony, “GREATER MORAL CLARITY”

However, having said that should the choice come down to it as a contest of Mitt v. Rudy – responsible Christians HAVE to vote Mitt. Simply because he has greater moral clarity than Rudy. And while Rudy may in fact be willing to bomb Iran if the need arises, I believe Mitt would too – but with a greater moral code in place – Mitt’s basis for such a decision would be with less question than a man who has had less than absolute integrity in his marriage(S), on the issue of innocent life, on the issue of marriage, and whether or not we even have the right to own guns to defend ourselves … more

Charles Mitchell correctly describes the McCullough excerpt as a “reaction”—it certainly isn’t a reflection or an instance of reason.

Here is McCullough’s argument:

[grounds] Because he has greater moral clarity than Rudy

[qualifier] should the choice come down to a contest of Mitt v. Rudy –

[conclusion] responsible Christians HAVE to vote Mitt

McCullough bases his conclusion on a distinction that, strangely, results in no practical difference:

  1. Rudy may in fact be willing to bomb Iran if the need arises,
  2. I believe Mitt would too – but with a greater moral code in place –
  3. Mitt’s basis for such a decision would be with less question than a man who has had less than
  • absolute integrity in his marriage(S),
  • on the issue of innocent life,
  • on the issue of marriage,
  • and whether or not we even have the right to own guns to defend ourselves.

So: both Romney and Rudy would, presumably, bomb Iran—there is no practical difference in result. But Romney would bomb Iran with “greater moral clarity.”

That make sense, right?—yeah, well, um, no—The withering “Well, so what!?” question springs to mind—does ordnance released with “greater moral clarity” leave deeper smoking craters?—but even if we were to accept this risible non-argument on its face, the sad fact is that Romney has demonstrated absolutely no clarity on the issue of Iraq, moral or otherwise. See:

Nor has Romney demonstrated “absolute integrity”—whatever that is—on the issues of marriage, innocent life, or guns.

yours &c.
dr. g.d.

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religious conservatives render themselves completely irrelevant in a single gesture—the Romney question and the “Republican Collapse”

October 11, 2007 in 2008, analysis, election 2008, Evangelicals, GOP, mitt romney, republicans, romney, stupidity, the dark soul of Mitt Romney, triumph of unreason
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“A prominent evangelical supporter of Mitt Romney has written a memorandum to 150 conservative Christian leaders, warning of the prospect of Rudolph W. Giuliani or Hillary Rodham Clinton in the White House and making the case to rally around Mr. Romney,” writes Michael Luo in an NYT transmission titled Letter Urges Conservative Christians to Support Romney

The writer, Mark DeMoss, a publicity agent whose clients include the Rev. Franklin Graham, wrote the five-page letter, urging the recipients to “galvanize support around Mitt Romney, so Mr. Giuliani isn’t the unintended beneficiary of our divided support among several candidates.”

Or, “worse yet,” Mr. DeMoss added, “so we don’t abdicate the presidency (and the future of the Supreme Court) over to Hillary Clinton” … more

Some poor befuddled soul named Hugh Hewitt—nice internal rhyme—reproduces the DeMoss communique in a post titled Memo to Evangelicals. Here is an excerpt from the DeMoss memo—a riff on the CEO trope the Romney’s prate upon:

The President of the United States is the CEO of the largest enterprise on planet earth, presiding over a nearly $3 trillion budget and some 2 million employees (the size of the workforces of General Motors, General Electric, Citigroup, Ford, Hewlett-Packard and AT&T combined). Mitt Romney has already been the chief executive of one of the most successful investment management firms in the world—Bain Capital, with nearly $6 billion under management; a Winter Olympic Games (Salt Lake City, 2002), where he turned a $379 million operating deficit into one of the most profitable Games ever; and the state of Massachusetts, where he eliminated a $3 billion deficit without raising taxes or borrowing money … more

Question: Does this seem like an argument that would inspire an Evangelical?—or, more broadly, a religious conservative?—i.e. us, as we are observant Jews, not Christians. Think about it: The president is a CEO?—really?—are we really America INC.?—from whence comes our moral authority, may we ask?—DeMoss’s reasoning is sad to the point of tears.

Consider David Brook’s rejoinder to the claims of the Evangelical movement.

“Over the past decade, religious conservatives within the G.O.P. have argued that social policies should be guided by the eternal truths of natural law and that questions about stem cell research and euthanasia should reflect the immutable sacredness of human life,” writes David Brooks in a tedious and strangely organized but sometimes insightful op-ed titled The Republican Collapse.

But temperamental conservatives are suspicious of the idea of settling issues on the basis of abstract truth. These kinds of conservatives hold that moral laws emerge through deliberation and practice and that if legislation is going to be passed that slows medical progress, it shouldn’t be on the basis of abstract theological orthodoxy … more

We tend to agree with Brook’s description of the contradiction between valuing a tradition of deliberation and the notion abstract first principles whether derived from supernatural or other sources. Brook’s contradiction reaches its furthest extreme in the person of Willard Milton Romney himself. Regard: Willard Milton Romney negates on its face the Evangelical notion of political leadership that derives its legitimacy from a community’s interpretation of a sacred text or texts: he holds to different texts, but more importantly he held to different values. Now, in advance of a national election, he claims to have changed his mind such that he holds to the same or at least similar values, e.g. life, family. So in a sense he is a convert, but not a convert to what an Evangelical would consider a normative tradition; he is a convert in the ideological abstract, a contradiction in himself: a civic Evangelical, a secular or cultural Christian.

On what grounds can an Evangelical consider Willard Milton Romney? On pragmatic grounds? Hardly. On pragmatic grounds the other GOP candidates offer far more impressive biographies and resumes—and they are all at least consistent with themselves. The only real grounds that a DeMoss, Perkins, or a Bauer can consider a figure like Willard Milton Romney are mercenary grounds: only Romney has stooped, and consistently stooped, to kiss their rings, to put it gently, and he has been kind enough to morph himself into whatever form they desire. Hence, for the Evangelical movement to even consider the person of Willard Milton Romney signals their departure from relevance on the political or cultural scene—they have squandered their inheritance, their only real inheritance: their integrity to an historical tradition that values character, i.e. character derived from devotion to something higher than oneself.

Put more simply: Their absurd desire to be king-makers has called forth the most absurd of kings.

yours &c.
dr. g.d.

death by internal memo: how the Romneys assuage themselves for their massive and accumulating losses

September 28, 2007 in 2008, analysis, argument, campaign literature, campaign management, election, election 2008, GOP, incompetence, media, mitt romney, polls, republicans, rhetoric, romney, stupidity, the dark soul of Mitt Romney, triumph of unreason
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“Romney strategist Alex Gage wrote in a Thursday memo that it is likely Romney will hover around 10 percent in national polls and gradually gain ground toward the end of the year,” reports the estimable Steve Holland in a Reuters release titled Romney seeks to assure supporters over campaign

“But we should not expect him to be competitive in national polls with better-known candidates like Giuliani, Thompson or McCain until after Iowa and New Hampshire,” he wrote.

Romney has pursued an “early state strategy,” focusing on Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina and hoping to do well in those states to build momentum for February 5, when some 20 states are to hold their primaries, including California and New York.

But Gage cautioned: “By no means do we expect to win both Iowa and New Hampshire — no Republican in the modern era ever has.”

Here is a further problem for the Romneys. Iowa may be irrelevant what with the compressed primary schedule—2008 is not 2004, or so suggests the all-seeing eye in an eyeon2008.com post titled Calendar implications; Iowa less important?—now, back to Steve Holland and his Reuters release titled Romney seeks to assure supporters over campaign

A Republican strategist not attached to a presidential campaign said the Romney campaign was trying to lower expectations about Iowa and New Hampshire.

“Politics is about setting expectations, and this is Romney’s attempt to lower the bar in these two states where he’s done exceptionally well since the spring,” the strategist said.

Gage used as an example the case of Sen. John Kerry, the Democrat who was at about 9 percent in the polls at this point ahead of the 2004 campaign leapt to 49 percent in the weeks after winning the Iowa caucuses. He won the Democratic nomination but lost to President George W. Bush.

Romney has been running as a Washington outsider, criticizing his own Republicans for failing to stop government spending and providing better security for U.S. borders from illegal immigration … more

This is what passes for wailing and the gnashing of teeth at Team Romney’s posh waterfront Pavilion of Dejection and Despair. See:

yours &c.
dr. g.d.